Today, the Mets will open the final season in Shea Stadium history. It’s their forty-fifth opening day at the round ballpark in Flushing, New York. The Mets record in Shea Stadium opening games is 30 wins and 14 losses. That’s a remarkable .682 percentage.

The first opening day in Shea Stadium history occurred on Friday, April 17, 1964. With the paint still wet in various parts of the new stadium, the Mets met the Pittsburgh Pirates in an afternoon contest. The Mets ultimately lost the game but a sold out crowd was thrilled with the new digs they could call home.

The Mets lost their first 4 Shea openers. Finally in 1968, rookie pitcher Jerry Koosman pitched a 7 hit complete game shutout against the Giants winning 3-0. The Mets then faced the expansion Montreal Expos in 1969 with Tom Seaver on the mound. Tom got beat up pretty bad in what would be the first game of a magical season. With the Mets trailing 11-6 in the bottom of the ninth, they scored 4 runs to make it close but the Expos prevailed.

The Mets lost opening day 1970 at Shea again but then reeled off 8 consecutive Shea opening day victories from 1971 to 1978. Tom Seaver won 6 of those games remaining the all time winning pitcher on opening day. His buddy Jerry Koosman picked up the other two. Tom of course was gone by 1978, having been traded by M. Donald Grant over a contract issue. Seaver was never credited for an opening day loss in a Shea Stadium opening game although he had started games that the Mets eventually lost.

The Mets lost the home opener in 1979 but then won 4 more in a row. During the Mets glory years from 1984 through 1990, the Mets won 4 of 7 opening games at Shea. In 1984, a packed Shea excited about their young team went home disappointed as the Mets and Ron Darling were trounced 10-0. Dwight Gooden holds the record for consecutive Shea opening decisions from 1989 to 1993 winning 3 of 5 decisions. 

The Mets worst lost on opening day at Shea was in 2003. What’s interesting about this game in retrospect is the starting pitcher who made his first appearance in a Mets uniform. Tom Glavine made his debut as a Met and pitched terribly giving up 5 runs in what would ultimately be a 15-2 loss. When you put that together with what happened in his finale as a Met, you realize Tom went out exactly as he came in. However, his last appearance was certainly more memorable.

The longest game in Shea opening games occurred in 1998. The Mets defeated the Phillies by a score of 1-0 in 14 innings. Last season the Mets scored the most runs in a Shea opener when they defeated the Phillies 11-5 but their most lopsided win came in 1999 when the Mets opened up against Florida and defeated them 8-1.

The Mets have won the last 10 of 11 Shea Stadium opening games. For the second straight season the Mets will open up against Philadelphia at Shea. Over the years the Mets have faced the Phillies 7 times in Shea Stadium openers. The Mets have won all 7 times. Hopefully history will repeat itself.

A year by year account of Shea Stadium opening games -